Caster



J. H. RUSSELL. (EASTER.

No. 495,519. Patented Apr. 18, 1893.

\llllllllllllllllllm Wm J1 Hm Hill" ummlll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. RUSSELL, OF MANISTEE, MICHIGAN.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,519, dated April 18, 1893.

Application filed July 22, 1892;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. RUssELL, of Manistee, county of Manistee, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Furniture-Casters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to furniture casters, the object being to provide a caster in which the friction between the moving parts will be reduced to a minimum, and the movement of which over the floor will require but a small amountof exertion and cause as little injury to the floor as possible.

My invention consists of a caster compris ing a casing provided with a cavity to receive a sphere or ball, and also with a continuous or endless channel or channels disposed in a vertical plane communicating with the cavity and adapted to receive a series of small balls, the arrangement being such that the sphere will revolve in contact with the balls.

My invention also consists in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved caster. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same on the line 2-2. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view of the caster with the sphere removed.

Referring to the drawings,-A represents a suitable casing consisting of four parts or members a ct a a which are formed, as more fully described hereinafter, to be secured together and sustain a sphere and a series of balls 1) 6 &c. The members a a, &c., are provided in their contiguous faceswith circular recesses 29 from the center of which project hubs c, the form being such that when the members are assembled and secured face to face, by means of suitable fastening devices, as shown, four circular channels will be formed which are adapted to receive the series of balls b b 850., before alluded to. The under sides of these members are recessed in such manner that when assembled, as shown, a somewhat more than semispherical cavity 0, will be formed which is adapted Serial No. 440,928. (No model.)

to receive the sphere B.- This cavity is of such size that its walls will extend below the center of the sphere, thus preventing its escape. Each of the circular channels communicates with the cavity B, so that when the balls are in place in the channels the sphere will revolve in contact with them. In this way four anti-friction surfaces are presented to the different sides of the sphere, the result being that but little friction is developed between the moving parts of the caster.

It is to be noted that owing to the continuous recesses within which the small balls move they may constantly change their positions so that the wear may be uniform on all the parts.

While I have shown and described the easing as composed of four parts formed to receive four series of balls, it will be understood that it may be formed of a greater or less number of parts, and that consequently, a greater or less number of endless channels may be provided to receive the balls.

It is to be understood that various changes in the details of the caster will suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, which may be adopted without departing from the spirit of my invention, the essence of which resides in combining with a casing provided with a continuous channel or channels to receive a series of balls, a sphere mounted in said casing in position to move in contact with the series of balls.

The parts of the casing may be cast or they may be formed by suitable dies from sheet metal, or any other method may be employed to give them proper configuration.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a furniture caster, the combination of a casing provided with a cavity and a continuous channel disposed in a vertical plane and communicating therewith, a series of balls moving in saidchannel and a sphere mounted in the cavity.

2. In a furniture caster, the combination of a casing provided with a cavity in its under side a series of continuous circular channels disposed in vertical planes communicating therewith, a series of balls mounted in the In testimony whereof I hereunto set my channels, anda sphere mounted in the cavity. hand, this 27th day of May, 1892, in the pres- 3. In afurniture caster, a casing consisting ence of two attesting witnesses.

of the four members, provided in their con- J AMES II. RUSSELL. 5 tiguous faces with circular channels adapted Witnesses:

to receive a series of balls, and in their under G. R. GIESMAN,

sides with recesses adapted to receivea sphere. EDWIN RUSSELL. 

